Spinning-mule.



No. 846,146. f PATENTED MAR. 5, 1907.

- Y J. SGHMITT.

SPINNING MULE.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 16,19 06.

{ZZZ 2% I 1mm?" UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SPlNNlNG-MULE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 5, 1907.

Application filed May 16,1906. Serial No. 317,221.

To aZZ whom it mag concern.-

Be it known that I, Josnrn SCHMITT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Noonsocket, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Spinning-Mules, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to an improvement in spinning-machines, and more particularly to an improvement in self-acting spinning-mules.

In the operation of mule-spinning yarn is produced as follows: hen twisting is begin ning, the carriage is brought to a point near the rolls. As the rolls begin to deliver the roving the carriage simultaneously commences to recede from the rolls and the spindles commence to revolve. Thus there are three operations taking place: the roving is being drawn and delivered; it is, as it is de livered, twisted and is kept in a stretched condition by reason of the recession of the carriage. \Nhen the carriage reaches the end of its stretch, it is stopped, the motion of the spindles is arrested, and the spindles at once reversed, so that a few coils of yarn which are wrapped on the spindles between the points of the spindles and the nose of the cops are uncoiled. As this takes place the faller-rod descends and the counter-faller rod ascends, so as to maintain approximately at once the tension of the stretch-of yarn and to guidethe yarn onto the cops. The drawing in of the carriage now begins and the spindles are revolved in their normal direction, so as to wind the yarn on the cops as it is released by the inward run of the carriage. As this operationtakes placethe faller-rod rises, and the yarn is thus guided onto the cops in ascending coils. When the inward run is completed, the whole of the winding operations cease, the faller and counter-taller rods assume their normal positions clear of the yarn, and the parts are again in a position to commence the operations of drawing and twisting. In practice I find that in self-acting mules as heretofore constructed the fallerrod (actuated by the usual mechanism) in its descent strikes the yarn, which being under tension is liable to break from the blow of the faller-rod, and under certain conditions does break, particularly when the mule is spinning fine counts of yarn.

The object of my invention is to prevent the breaking of the yarn in mules from the blow of the Taller-rods, and I accomplish this object by providing the mule with a tension device operatively connected with the tallerrod shaft and adapted to slightly retard the downward movement of the faller-rod at its start, thereby preventing the sudden downward start of the faller-rods and the consequent liability of breaking the yarn.

My invention consists in the peculiar and novel construction of a tension device operatively connected with the head-stock frame and faller-rod shaft of a mule, whereby the liability of the filllBT-{OClS breaking the yarn in their sudden descent is eliminated, as will be more fully set forth hereinafter, and p ointed out in the claims.

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of part of a self-acting spinning-mule, showing the carriage at the end of its stretchand the tension device operatlvely connected with the head-stock frame and the faller-rod shaft, with the faller-roo in its normal or raised position. Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical view of the tension device, showing the member on the faller-rod shaft engaging with the member on the head-stock frame at the point where the faller-rod starts to descend; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view of the :tension device looking at the top of the same.

In the drawings, a indicates the rovingbobbins; I), the roving; c, the drawing-rolls; d, the yarn; e, the spindles; f, the cop on the spindles; g, the whirls on the spindles; h, the

cylindrical roller; '11, the bands connecting the whirls g with the roller h; k, the roller-shaft; Z, the carriage; m, the rail for the carriage Z; n, the faller-rod; 0, the taller-arm; p, [the faller-shaft; r, the counter taller-rod; s, the counter-faller arm; t, the counter faller-shaft; 'v, a part of the head-stock frame of a selfacting mule, and w the tension device operatively secured to the fallershaf-t p and the head-stock frame 1), as shown in 1.

My improved tension device w consists ofa bracket 4, rigidly secured .to the side at the outer end of the head-stock frame 4); a vertical arm 5 adjustably secured to the bracket 4 by a bolt 6 through a vertical slot 7 in the bracket; a flat arm 8, pivotally secured at its fiXedend'E) in a horizontal position to the upper end of the vertical arm 5 by abolt L0 and having an upwardly-curved free end 11 extending toward the head of the machine; a coiled spring 12 surrounding the fixed end 9 and secured at one end to the head of the bolt 10, the other end being formed into the arm 13, adapted to bear on the flat arm 8, on which it exerts a downward pressure; a short arm 14, rigidly secured to the vertical arm 5 by a bolt 15 under the flat arm 8 and having in its outer end a vertical adjusting-bolt 16, held in its adjusted position by the nut 17 and supported by the arm 14 in a position for the upper end of the adjusting-bolt 16 to engage with the under side of the flat arm 8, and a segmental arm 18, having the two-part lower member 19, secured to the faller-shaft p by a bolt 20, and an upper member 21, adjustably secured to the lower member 19 by a bolt 22 through a vertical slot in the member 19 and having a curved T-shaped upper end 23 in the form of a segment of a circle and covered with leather 24 or similar material, as shown in Fig. 2. The segmental arm 18 is rigidly secured to the faller-shaft p in a position for the curved T-shaped end 23 to engage with and slightly raise the llat arm 8 against the tension of the coiled spring 12 when the carri age Zhas reached the end of its stretch, as shown in Fig. 1.

In the operation of my improved tension device the segmental arm 18 on the fallershaft 1) rides in a vertical position under the flat arm 8 and slightly raises the arm 8 against the tension of the coiled spring 12 as the carriage Z reaches the end of its stretch. In the backing-off operation the faller-rod n is operated by the usual mechanism to de scend, and this descent of the faller-rod (which is secured to the faller-shaft p by the fallerarm 0) is slightly retarded at first by the friction of the leather-covered curved T- shaped end 23 of the segmental arm 18 against the under side of the flat arm 8 or until the faller-rod has come into contact with. the yarn 61, when the segmental arm 18 leaves the fiat arm 8 and the faller-rod has its usual motion for the rest of its downward. movement. Immediately the backing off is completed the drawing in of the carriage Z begins, and the spindles are revolved in their normal direction. As this takes place the faller-rod it rises, and the yarn is thus guided onto the cop in ascending coils. When the inward run of the carriage is completed, the faller-rod n has assumed its normal position and the segmental arm. 18 has assumed its vertical position for the next outward stretch of the carriage. The frictional resistance of the flat arm 8 on the curved end 23 of the segmental arm 18 may be adjusted by adjusting the bolt 16 in the rigid arm 14, as

shown in Fig. 2.

By the use of my improved tension device in spinning-mules I find that a fine count of yarn may be spun with less liability of the taller-rods breaking the same than has heretofore been done.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a spinning-mule, a tension device comprising a bracket rigidly secured to the head-stock frame, an arm pivotally secured to the bracket, means for applying a spring tension to the pivoted arm, means for adjusting the spring tension, a segmental arm having a curved T-shaped end and rigidly secured to the faller-rod shaft in a position for the curved end to frictionally engage with the arm on the bracket when the carriage has reached its outward stretch, whereby the faller-rods are given africtional resistance for a predetermined interval at the point of backing off, as described.

2. In a spinning-mule, a tension device comprising a bracket rigidly secured to the head-stock frame, a vertical arm, means for adjustably securing the vertical arm to the to the vertical arm, a segmental arm comprising a member having a curved T-shaped end adjustably secured to a member which is rigidly secured to the faller-rod shaft in a posi tion for the curved T-shaped end to frictionally engage'with the horizontal arm when the carriage has reached its outward stretch, means for exerting a spring tension on the horizontal arm, and means for adjusting the spring tension, whereby the faller-rods are given a frictional resistance for a predetermined interval at the point of backing off, as described.

3. In a spinning-mule, the combination with a faller-rod shaft p and a head-stock bracket 4 rigidly secured to the frame v, a vertical arm 5 adjustably secured to the bracket 4 by a bolt 6 through a vertical slot 7 in the bracket, a flat arm 8 pivotally secured at its end 9 in a horizontal position to the up per end of the vertical arm 5 by a bolt 10 and having an upwardly-curved free end 11, a coiled spring 12 surrounding the end 9 and secured at one end to the head of the bolt 10, the other end being formed into an arm13 adapted to bear on the flat arm 8, a short arm 14 rigidly secured to the vertical arm 5 by a bolt 15 and having in its outer end a vertical adjusting-bolt 16 held in its adjusted position by a nut 17 and supported by the arm 14: in a position for the upper end of the adjusting-bolt to engage with the under side of the flat arm 8 and a segmental arm 18 having the two-part lower member 19 secured frame 1), of a tension device to comprising a Y bracket, a horizontal arm pivotally secured to the faller-shaft p by a bolt 20, and an up- 1 In testimony whereof I have signed my per member 21 adjustably secured to the name to this specification in the presence of 10 lower member 19 by a bolt 22 through a vertitwo subscribing witnesses.

cal slot in the member 19, and having a 5 curved T-shaped end 23 covered with JOSEPH SOHMITT' leather 24 or similar material, whereby the Witnesses: taller-rods are given a frictional resistance ADA E; HAGERTY,

for a predetermined interval, as described. J. A. MILLER. 

